Life Etc Etc

Life and sport rarely offer a sequel upon request, but today the 2019 Queen's Club Championships delivered a heart-warming and larger in every sense sequel to the 2017 edition. The hero on both occasions being our man of the moment, Feliciano Lopez. There's something in the hallowed lawns of Queen's Club that spurns the genius in 'Feli' (as his friends on the tour call him) and transforms him into a mythical hero who scripts incredible sporting moments every time he sets foot on this court. Champion again! (Courtesy: Sportsnet.ca ) The History: But let's rewind a bit, Feli had just concluded winning the 2017 Queen's Club Championships in a thrilling fashion. As an avid tennis fan I was extremely excited about his prospects at Wimbledon 2017 but no sooner had the first round begun Feli was forced to retire with an injury. The next time I saw Feli was in the 2018 Queen's Club Championships where he was in decent form but couldn't get past Ni...

Until Next Time, Yours Inspiringly, J.J. Chaitanya

Until Next Time, Your Inspirer, J.J. Chaitanya

I have a soft corner in my heart for the action films of the eighties . I am also a huge fan of movies where stars are cast against type ( see Vera Cruz ). So, when I got a chance to watch 1988's  Black Eagle  pitting international action star Jean-Claude Van Damme as the 'villain' against acclaimed martial arts guru Sho Kosugi ,   I just couldn't let it pass by. Black Eagle 1988 Plot When a US F-111 jet carrying a laser tracking device goes missing in the Mediterranean, agent Ken Tani (Sho Kosugi) code-named ' Black Eagle ' is summoned to retrieve the device before the Soviet KGB acquires it. Ken unwillingly lands in Malta and is immediately targeted by Soviet Agent Andrei (Jean-Claude Van Damme). Will Ken acquire the tracking device? Who wins? (Guess that answer is obvious!) The Cliches Cliches are the life and soul of action movies. When you have a martial arts movie in the spy genre those cliches only double. So here are all the noteworthy cli...

Until Next Time, Your Life Philosopher, J.J. Chaitanya

The Indian Wells Masters is one tournament on the ATP calendar I've consistently enjoyed over the last couple of years. Not only is the tournament well attended but it also arrives on the cusp of spring just when everything is about to look up in the Northern Hemisphere. I still remember the humdinger of a final  from last year and was particularly disappointed that the defending champion Juan Martin Del Potro was unable to defend his title this year because of a nagging knee injury. The magnificence of Indian Wells (Courtesy: Tennis Tours ) The Draw This year though the deck was firmly stacked in favor of the number one seed Novak Djokovic who was in imperious form leading up to the tournament. Novak led the upper half of the draw and was ably supported by mercurially talented players such as Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Nick Kyrgios and Milos Raonic. Stefanos Tsitsipas who ousted Novak at the Toronto Masters and Federer at the Australian Open looked set to be dark h...

Until Next Time, Yours Inspiringly, J.J. Chaitanya